NBA D-League Showcase, Day FourJanuary 18, 2008Randy Livingston today proved again why he remains one of the best stories in minor-league basketball, and a perennial call-up candidate. With the way the veteran guard sees the floor, you would think he has eyes all the way around his head. The Idaho offense ran like a well-oiled machine with him on the court, particularly in the half-court offense where Livingston was constantly coaching his team on the floor as well as perfectly placing the ball.

Though his shooting form still looks awkward, the guard’s accuracy from behind the arc is quite impressive this season. Livingston’s shooting percentage sits in the high 30s right now on over four attempts from long range on the season. On the drive, Livingston also shoots the mid-range jumper if open and can even occasionally carve out some space posting up with his wide body to create lay-up opportunities.

At the age of 32, Livingston lacks great mobility partially due to a high level of wear and tear on his knees. This can be compensated for offensively with good screens and the way he uses his body, but it does hurt the veteran on the other end of the floor, as well as in terms of conditioning. Still, his experience and leadership could be valuable to a number of NBA teams right now. There are some rumors that he is very close to getting bought out and signing a deal with a team in the Spanish ACB. [Read Full Article]NBA D-League Showcase, Day TwoJanuary 16, 2008Randy Livingston has made his career out of being a guy who makes the smart play at the right time and doesn’t turn the ball over. Tonight he had 6 turnovers, but still showed the on-court leadership teams look for in a potential call-up.

A veteran call-up candidate at this point, Randy showed both his skills as a player and his potential as a future coach in the league. He created regularly for his teammates in the first half, racking up 9 assists, but shooting only 3 shots. In the second half he looked to score more putting up an additional 12 points, but notching only 2 assists. He did a good job at the free throw line, including two clutch free throws to ice the game, shooting 10 for 10 from the stripe tonight.

He out-thought himself on a couple of plays trying to go over the top, but redeemed himself by not only hitting his teammates when they were open, but by making himself available when they were stuck. This is the type of heady play Livingston is known for, and why he’s a perpetual call-up candidate in the D-League.

On several plays he was able to change speeds allowing him to get to the rim for running layups or scoops, which is an underrated skill that allows him to continue to score at a high level when needed. At the end of the game he made an ill-advised pass in crowded transition to Brent Petway while up, and with less than a minute to play, but he subsequently came down the floor and got to the rim to get fouled allowing him to hit 2 free throws to effectively end the game.

There’s a reason Randy Livingston remains on the NBA radar. He plays smart, makes good decisions, and can create as a last resort. This makes him the type of player GMs like coming off the bench, and a valuable asset come playoff time. Livingston is having a great season, and is once again on the short list of point guard call-up candidates. [Read Full Article]